Continuum
by XBowtiesareCoolX
Summary: When Katara finally gives up on learning Waterbending in the Northern Water Tribe, she meets Ren, a master Waterbender, who has her own needs.  FULL SUMMARY INSIDE!
1. An Unexpected Alternative

Continuum-Chapter One-An Unexpected Alternative

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><p><em>When the Gaang is in the Northern Water Tribe village, Aang begins learning Waterbending and after attempts to teach Katara incognito, they decided to just let Aang learn, and Katara will just have to stick to healing. That is, until she meets Ren, a young waterbender who learned from her mother, and decides to help Katara, as long as Katara helps her in return. They become great friends and Ren soon become part of the Gaang, but complication erupts, as always.<em>

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><p>Katara was so upset when she realized that it would never happen.<p>

_I'm never going to learn WaterBending. After all that work…_

But she came here for Aang, right? Aang, so he could learn the second of the four elements required so he could become a fully realized Avatar and overthrow the despot Fire Lord who had been planning to cause the other nations pain.

…_Right?_

That was only part of it. Katara actually had to learn this; it was from a deep need inside her from when she first took control of the water. A deep primal need, like needing to sleep, eat, drink, Katara needed to master WaterBending.

_But how?_

Good question. Learning from Aang was impossible and Healing just wasn't enough. Not to mention that it was practically a felony in this tribe. Who would teach her?

Katara attempted to push the thought away as she walked around in the Marketplace. She saw a store that caught her eye, Sayri's Scents. Katara had always been a fan of aromatherapy and perfume and walked in quietly.

There was a girl about Aang's age looking at a flask with a perfume in it. She seemed awfully focused and Katara just watched her intently, ignoring the thought that she was intruding. The girl was holding the flask in one hand and her other hand was twirling the liquid with the movements she used, obviously mixing two essences together. Before Katara could stop herself, she blurted out:

"You're a WaterBender!"

The girl looked up in alarm, and dropped the flask she was holding. Letting it fall and shatter on the floor. She gasped and said, without thinking, "Didn't you see the sign on the door?"

Katara, just deciding she should do so looked and saw that the store was supposedly closed. And by the looks of the drawn curtains and the blocked windows, this girl wasn't expecting customers.

"How did you get in here, anyway?" She took on a defensive stance, with her hands on her hips and said "I locked the door."

Katara looked at her and said "Actually the door was open."

"No way, I'm sure I locked it. I'll show you." She walked over to the door and tried to pull it open to show that it wouldn't which meant that it would be locked, however the door wasn't locked, so she fell backward on her backside, yelling in surprise and anger. "That stupid door! It NEEDS to be replaced. It's been doing this repeatedly. I'll have to add it to my to-do list." She said picking herself up from the floor and dusting herself off as Katara fought back a giggle, it was quite an amusing display, but if she had laughed, the girl would have yelled at her even more. "And Miko!" The girl yelled at the, now awake, cat-owl that was apparently called Miko. "Why didn't you warn me that someone was coming in? You usually hiss or hoot or something." The cat-owl just looked at her drowsily, annoyed that it was forced awake by his owner.

The girl turned to Katara now and said "Well, I guess you can go and tell the officials that I'm a criminal for WaterBending." She sighed in defeat.

Katara put her hands up and said "No! No, I don't want to turn you in!"

The girl crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow. "Really? Why not? What do you want?"

Katara looked at her and smiled when she got an idea, and then said:

"I want you to teach me WaterBending."


	2. Confiding

**Continuum-Chapter Two-Confiding**

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><p><em>AN: WOW! I am proud of myself for updating this fast. It's been what? A day? YES! Thanks to Raine1902 for the review! LOVE IT!_

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><p>The girl looked at Katara in surprise. "What makes you think I even am a master? And that I could teach you?"<p>

Katara looked at her calmly and said "I don't know if you are a master, it would be nice, but I don't care if you aren't, I just need to learn, even if it's only a small amount. I came to the Northern Water Tribe thinking that me and Aang could both learn here. But I was taken aback at the 'no girls' rule."

The girl looked at her calculatingly for a moment. Katara noticed how different she looked compared to the other residents she had seen in the Tribe. This girl had fair skin instead of the light tan most of the water tribe inherited, and most shocking: Golden Blonde hair that was as bright as the sun, it almost glowed itself, the only thing that really indentified her as Water Tribe was her bright blue eyes, much like Katara's own.

"Lucky for you I am a master." Said the girl, snapping Katara out of her thoughts concerning the young woman's unusual looks "and I might as well teach you, we need to get over this stupid custom one way or another." Katara smiled at her then and the smile was returned by the stranger. The girl extended her hand toward Katara and said "I am Ren, and you are?"

Katara took Ren's hand and said "Katara, of the Southern Water Tribe"

Ren looked at her in surprise "Really? That was my grandmother's birthplace as well"

Katara felt relieved to find someone else with similar roots to her own and willing to teach her. "Really?" She asked, amazed.

Ren nodded and then said "Wait a minute, aren't you the Water Tribe girl that came here with the Avatar?"

Katara sadly nodded. "Yes" she replied. Katara then told her how she first met Aang, and how before she knew he was the Avatar, he offered to take her to the Northern Water Tribe so she could learn Waterbending. "I mean, of course I agreed, I have been dreaming of becoming a Waterbending Master ever since I first moved some snow when I was three. So I went with him and then this huge thing happened with a Fire Nation Prince."

"A Fire Nation Prince?" Ren repeated, and Katara saw some hate in her deep blue eyes. Not a regular hate for just the Fire Nation. There was something more to it, like they had done something personal to her.

Katara went on with her story about how he went into the Avatar State and practically destroyed the ship. "And then he told us he was the Avatar, and ever since then, it's been death-threat after death-threat, and it became about Aang saving the world, and not me becoming a master. I mean, I do understand that it's REALLY important, I do, but that doesn't mean I still really want to learn." Katara finished her story, amazed that she had confided all of these personal feelings toward Ren. It actually made sense in a way, that she could feel safe to divulge to her new teacher.

"I understand your feelings, if not share them" said Ren, smiling at her. "If I was in that situation, I would still want to learn as well. You won't believe how hard it's been, trying to hide my bending for almost all of my life. I can heal, sure, but it's not enough. I have a feeling that we, together can bring down that stupid custom, and show how girls too can be great Waterbending masters." Ren finished her monologue and looked at Katara with a look in her eyes, and Katara knew what it was.

Hope.


	3. Future, Present, Past

**Continuum-Chapter Three-Future, Present, Past**

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><p><em>AN: HELLO! Sorry I didn't put this in last night, my stupid internet connection is an IDIOT! Love messages, reviews, and ALERTS! This story wouldn't be happening without you!_

_To Raine1902: Are you psychic or something? because your question was to be answered in this chapter, and so it shall be!_

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><p>As Katara and Ren started talking about what to do after Katara became a decent Waterbender, they decided to take on the Master Waterbender of the village, none other than Master Pakku.<p>

"We will try to beat him, and if we do, we will learn his respect" Ren said with certainty. "Pakku holds a lot of authority in the council. Not to mention that he has the complete confidence of the chief, and he is the most experienced Waterbender in the world. With his respect, we will get the tribe's." Katara nodded and then realized something.

"We're not practicing yet." Katara said to Ren, who smiled.

"No we are not. I figured we should sit down and maybe have some tea first to learn about each other. Speaking of which, why don't you sit down and have some tea?"

"I'll be delighted" Katara said "But why aren't we just getting right down to it? We don't have much time"

"Katara" Ren said, while she got up and escorted her to the back of the shop which was fairly comfortable. Ren then gestured to a nice comfy pillow next to a table. "It's in the middle of the day! We couldn't possibly start training NOW. Of course someone will see us. Not to mention that we should learn some about each other. We aren't just going to be teacher and student. We should be friends. I'm almost younger than you are anyway."

Katara then realized another thing that she should ask Ren. "Wait, how did you become a Master so young?"

Ren looked a little taken about by the question, she may have wanted to know a little about each other, but her past wasn't her favorite thing to divulge. She sighed and said simply "My mother. I started learning very young and I had mastered fast, I was named a Prodigy. My mother was taught by her mother, but I don't know who taught my grandmother. Somehow my entire female side of the family learn extremely fast."

Katara was interested. "Really? So what? Did your mother bring you here recently?"

"Remember Katara, I said my grandmother was born there, not myself" Ren said sadly, as she continued on with her story, she seemed less glowing, less bubbly, and very unhappy. "My grandmother was young when she had my mother, she was not married and only had a fleeting relationship with an Earthbender that she visited once. My mother was taught everything by her Tribe and my grandmother and became very talented, when my mother was 7, the Firebenders took my grandmother along with a few Waterbenders, sadly of course my mother continued her training with other Waterbenders, until they were all captured by the Fire Nation. My mother was smart not to tell the entire village of her bending. When she was discovered conversing with a Waterbender, the Fire Nation took the Waterbender away, and the captain of the ship, a prince, raped her. Out of her shame, my mother left the village and came here to start a new life. She raised me, and taught me in secret, I love her very much. Though my mother was convinced that I am true Water Nation and not fire, I disagree. My father was a prince, who raped my mother, how can I not have that same vengence inside of me. Someday, I will find the cause for my mother's shame. " Ren looked outside through her back door, her face looked very dark, almost scary. "And I will humilate him, and kill him for what he has done." Ren finished and then asked Katara a question that had nothing to do with her story: "Jasmine? or Green?"

"Jasmine please" Katara answered, almost afraid of Ren at this moment. She wanted to murder her own father? Could Ren be right about herself? That she inherited the need for vengence from her father? Katara decided agianst talking about it for now and then said "Oh my spirits, I can't believe that your mother went through that much. Where is she now?"

"My mother?" Ren said giving Katara the cup of Jasmine and sitting across from her.

"She's missing."

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><p>AN: REPOSTED and EDITED!


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